Scopas Tang

Zebrasoma scopas

Also known as Brown Tang, Twotone Tang, Brush-tail Tang

SaltwaterFish

Scopas Tang (Zebrasoma scopas) — William Warby · CC BY 2.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–82°F (24–28°C)
pH: 8.1–8.4
Adult size: 7.9 in (20 cm)
Minimum tank: 90 gal (340 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Common
Reef safe: Reef safe
Origin: Indo-Pacific
Family: Acanthuridae

Overview

One of the more forgiving tangs and a good choice for a first tang, but its dull color is misleading: it will harass same-genus tangs like yellow and purple tangs just as hard as they harass each other, so keep only one Zebrasoma per tank unless the system is very large. Reef safe with corals when well fed, though a hungry specimen may start nipping LPS and soft corals, so keep dried algae available.

In the wild

Widespread across the Indo-Pacific, grazing algae on coral-rich and rocky reefs from shallow lagoons out to reef faces. Its muted brown to olive body blends into the reef as it browses filamentous algae all day. In the tank it wants open swimming space, brisk flow and algae-covered rock to pick at between feedings.

Good to know

Zebrasoma scopas is closely related to the yellow tang and shares its disc-shaped body and long snout, differing mainly in its brown coloration and a brush-like patch of bristles near the tail base that gives it the name scopas, meaning broom. Like all surgeonfish it carries paired caudal spines used in territorial fights.

Did you know

Despite looking plain brown, it is essentially the yellow tang's near-twin in shape and behavior, and the two will fight if housed together as if competing for the same job on the reef.